The theater lights were dimmed and the stage was set for the third annual “The Best Things In Life Are Rescued” telethon, broadcast live from the Mae Wilson Theater Saturday evening.
Moose Jaw Humane Society volunteers in red shirts bustled quickly and quietly backstage, handling everything from kittens to technical equipment as they awaited the countdown that would have them broadcasting live to a Moose Jaw audience.
One of those bustling about in a red shirt with the symbol of a giant paw on the back was the Moose Jaw Humane Society’s fundraising and promotions coordinator Karla Pratt.
“Our goal is $36,000 this year and we’re looking to raise money just to help the shelter operate,” said Pratt. “It costs a lot of money to have 1,500 or more animals each year and this money goes a long way. On average it costs about $40,000 to operate the shelter for one month. So you can see what a tremendous impact this will make in the lives of our animals.”
The telethon first began three years ago when the humane society had to take out a loan to deal with a black mould problem in their facility. “The first telethon helped to pay back that loan,” said Pratt, “we’ve just done band aide fixes to the rest of the shelter since then because we know in our near future we would like to build a new building.”
Pratt says that since the telethon began it has grown in success and popularity. “The first year we hoped to raise about $10,000 to $15,000 and we raised $24,000. Last year we hoped to raise $25,000 and we actually raised $35,000. So this year we set our goal at $36,000,” said Pratt.
Lyndsay Mccready was another volunteer in red that night, there to interview the evening’s lineup of guests. “I am here because I am a huge supporter of the humane society. I believe very strongly in what they do for the animals of our community and when they asked me to do it I was more than thrilled to participate, this is my third year,” said Mccready.
One of those guests she would interview was former Saskatchewan Roughrider Matt Dominguez. Dominguez and his family adopted their first family pet, a Pit Bull named Mocha, from the humane society in August. “The family wanted a dog, so instead of going out and buying a brand new dog we went out and we adopted one,” said Dominguez. Dominguez said that the family had been waiting for just the right time to buy a dog and that after they had bought a house with a yard and the children were old enough they decided that the time was right. “Mocha’s been great with the kids, she’s a loyal dog and we are very happy to have her,” said Dominguez of the large breed that often gets stigmatized as being dangerous.
For the rest of this story pick up Tuesday's edition of the Times-Herald
